Animation & Comics

Animation

Animation is a very special media form. More than any other it allows the complete re-presentation of reality. As we move into the 21st century, and computer generated graphics, animation and live-action filming merge, we can be less and less sure of the 'true' nature of what we are seeing on screen. Animation has never been so powerful - nor so widely used. From computer games, to TVCs, to blockbuster movies, animation is used to fill in the gaps when reality simply doesn't look real enough.

Comics are the print form of animation, and you can find out more about them here.

History of Animation

Animation is as old as the drawings done on rock surfaces by cavemen. Check out this site for the historical development of the art form. And this one gives an overview of the history of animation to the present day. The Britannica entry also gives a useful overview.

If you want to get yourself up-to-date on current developments in animation (including some excellent links to current and forthcoming animated feature releases' websites) then have a look at Animation Artist, an online newsletter for those interested in Animation. You will also find some interesting articles at Animation Meat.

What is Animation?

Animation is the process of linking a series of slightly different drawings together to simulate movement. There are normally 24 frames per second in moving film, and the best animation (ie the most flowing and detailed) will use a different drawing for each of those 24 frames. Limited animation will move to a new drawing less frequently, and this results in a jerky image.

The same processes used for film are used for the animated GIFs you see on websites.

There are three different types of animation:

Cel Animation

Drawings are made on transparent sheets (celluloid) which may then be laid on top of each other to combine characters and backgrounds

Stop Motion Animation

A model or puppet (shadow puppets were used in early stop motion) is shot a frame at a time, with tiny changes in position being made between each frame

Computer animation

Computers can be used to entirely create the shapes and colours of animated action, working from a series of mathematical codes, or they can be used to enhance hand-drawn characters.

Animation Glossary

Cel

Sheet of celluloid containing a single drawing. Opaque paints are used to create colour. Many different cels can be combined to create one frame

Inbetweening/Inbetweener

These are the drawings which link one key frame to another. Because they are a series of copies of the key drawing with only slight changes, they are drawn by Inbetweeners - animators who, although skilled, are still learning their trade. Some of this work has now been taken over by computers, but it is still an important role. For an online Inbetweening tutorial click here.

Key drawing/Key Animator

The main stages of movement, these frames are normally drawn by a more senior, experienced animator who needs to be more creative in producing them

Rostrum Camera

A large, one-frame-at-a-time movie camera which is mounted on a vertical column. Cels or other film images can be placed on a frame in front of it. These days it is generally controlled by a computer and can be programmed to move a precise distance up or down, in or out, and take several pictures of the same cel.

There are also 3-D rostrum cameras.

Stretch and Squash

The technique invented by Disney animators in the early 1930s involving the exaggerated compression and extension of character body parts in order to create bouncy, humorous movement.

Have A Go!

For an online lesson in animation from a Disney-trained animator click here.

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Cel Animation	Drawings are made on transparent sheets (celluloid) which may then be laid on top of each other to combine characters and backgrounds
Stop Motion Animation	A model or puppet (shadow puppets were used in early stop motion) is shot a frame at a time, with tiny changes in position being made between each frame
Computer animation	Computers can be used to entirely create the shapes and colours of animated action, working from a series of mathematical codes, or they can be used to enhance hand-drawn characters.

Cel	Sheet of celluloid containing a single drawing. Opaque paints are used to create colour. Many different cels can be combined to create one frame
Inbetweening/Inbetweener	These are the drawings which link one key frame to another. Because they are a series of copies of the key drawing with only slight changes, they are drawn by Inbetweeners - animators who, although skilled, are still learning their trade. Some of this work has now been taken over by computers, but it is still an important role. For an online Inbetweening tutorial click here.
Key drawing/Key Animator	The main stages of movement, these frames are normally drawn by a more senior, experienced animator who needs to be more creative in producing them
Rostrum Camera	A large, one-frame-at-a-time movie camera which is mounted on a vertical column. Cels or other film images can be placed on a frame in front of it. These days it is generally controlled by a computer and can be programmed to move a precise distance up or down, in or out, and take several pictures of the same cel. There are also 3-D rostrum cameras.
Stretch and Squash	The technique invented by Disney animators in the early 1930s involving the exaggerated compression and extension of character body parts in order to create bouncy, humorous movement.